Rahul sets up Durga Puja date with Kolkata

After temple visits in Madhya Pradesh, Congress President Rahul Gandhi is all set to visit Kolkata during Durga Puja in a bid to shore up the party's fortunes in West Bengal.

Rahul, on Saturday, agreed to the demand from the West Bengal unit of the Congress for a visit during Durga Puja and at the same time asked the party leaders from the state to strengthen the organisation.

However, the Congress president was non-committal about striking an alliance with either the Trinamool Congress or the CPM in the state for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The newly-constituted West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee led by President Somen Mitra met Rahul to discuss the party's plans for the upcoming elections. On Sunday last, Rahul sprung up a surprise removing Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as the President of the West Bengal Congress and appointing Mitra in his place.

Among those who were present at the meeting were Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury, Deepa Dasmunsi, Pradip Bhattacharya, Abhijit Mukherjee, AICC in-charge Gaurav Gogoi, AICC Secretary B P Singh among others.